I'm interested in hearing from some seasoned boaters on what boat to purchase assuming I limit my focus to towboats, specifically Mastercraft, Nautique and Malibu. Budget is +/- $20K and think a v-drive over a direct drive is the way to go (true)? We'll use the boat for towing people first, maybe a little cruising and no fishing. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

Demo whatever you are looking at. They are all good but when you are in them the differences in ride, wake, and space become very apparent.
Narrow down the size by evaluating where you are going to store it or how you'll trailer it. Don't worry as much about hours, high or low, as the condition of the boat. One that has been well kept is better than one that is not maintained. Try to evaluate what uses you might have in the future. Rough water, surfing, skiing. Each use has different demands on the purchase. Good Luck.

I think when you are in that price point it really depends on you......
-Are you looking to have something with low hours, well cared for and as new as you can get? Might look at a 5-10 yr old Moomba, Supreme, Centurion
-Are you looking for the brand name and will sacrifice the cleanliness, age and how well it was cared for? It will be tough to get a Vdrive Mastercraft, Malibu, Nautique for that kind of money unless it is higher hours and maybe a bit rougher.

Just depends what you are looking for. I personally would take a clean well cared for lower hour entry level boat before I buy something that is a bit older and rougher and a big name, but that is just me. Everyone is different and value different things.

I would suggest spending some time and having it inspected so you don't end up with a money pit as well. Sounds like you are doing it right for your first time and take your time and weigh your options and you will be super happy!!!

^^^ Well said, Tyler. My thoughts exactly every time I read a thread about a v-drive search for around $20K.

If I was in the price range, I'd look for some version of the MC 205V (X-Star, X-2, X-1). Probably won't find an X-1 (2006+) in the $20's, but maybe an older X-2 (2004-2005) with high hours or a 205V / X-star from the early 2000's. I really like those boats.

Add Sanger to the list. I wouldn't limit yourself to just the big 3 (not that there is anything wrong with them). Sanger's have a great reputation and are excellent price point boats.

You'll be hard pressed to find a boat company that has higher customer satisfaction then them also. I purchased my first boat 3 seasons ago - a Sanger DLX. Not a V-drive, but we ski behind it a lot also, so that was not the biggest issue with me. We love the boat.

I can't imagine not wanting another Sanger...again, there is nothing wrong with the big 3. Gotta love those guys too! I go out in a Mastercraft X2 (older X-star style) and love that boat a lot. I may get flamed, but my DLX feels much bigger than the X2 in relation to people being able to move around at the same time. The v-drives do have tons more storage room though.